1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging device that can capture images with improved sensitivity in low illumination environments.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some known imaging devices are configured to obtain improved sensitivity and an improved signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio by executing a function that sums all the digital signals for the preceding N pixels (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-184274, in particular paragraph 0010 on page 4).
A problem with these known imaging devices is that since they add the captured image signals from a continuous row of adjacent pixels, when a color imaging element is used, the colors mix and a color signal cannot be reproduced.
This invention addresses this problem with the object of enabling an image signal of sufficiently high sensitivity to be obtained without color mixing when image signals read from a color imaging element are summed.